Virgin America/ Virgin Atlantic Announce Points Earning Partnership
You can now earn Virgin America Elevate points when flying Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Points when flying Virgin America.
The ratios:
Earning Elevate Points on a Virgin Atlantic flight:
| CLASS OF SERVICE | BOOKING CLASS | ACCRUAL (POINTS % OF MILES) |
|---|---|---|
Promotional Economy | N, V, X, O | 10% |
Discounted Economy | L, M, Q | 20% |
Full Economy Class | Y, B | 40% |
Premium Economy | W, S, K, H | 50% |
Business Class | Z, R, J, D | 60% |
If you fly on Virgin Atlantic from London (LHR) to New York (JFK) in Premium Economy, you would receive the following:
LHR-JFK Base Miles (Round Trip): 6,916
Premium Economy: 50% of miles flown
Elevate points: 3,458 points= roughly $65 towards a Virgin America flight. If you banked to Flying Club, you would get 10,374 Flying Club miles.
Considering NY-London in Upper Class is 90,000 miles, what would you rather have- $65 or 1/9th of an Upper Class ticket to London?
Analyzing the reverse, earning Flying Club on Virgin America, yields a less drastic result. You earn Flying Club miles based on miles flown and class of service:
Main Cabin* - 50% of miles flown
Main Cabin Refundable* - 100% of miles flown
Main Cabin Select Instant Upgrade* - 100% of miles flown
Main Cabin Select* - 100% of miles flown
First Class* - 150% of miles flown
Virgin Elevate points are based on dollars spent on base fare, so a JFK-LAX $358 fare will yield 1,790 Elevate points, which are worth about $34. That same flight would yield you roughly 2,470 Flying Club miles, or about 1/36th of an Upper Class ticket to London. What would you rather have? A little less clear, but I'd still go for Flying Club, since I'm a sucker for premium class international travel and that ticket is worth about $4,000 to me (1/36th of which is $111).
Either way you bank, I'm glad the Virgins are partnering up in a stronger way.. the more options to earn points and miles, the better!
| CLASS OF SERVICE | BOOKING CLASS | ACCRUAL (POINTS % OF MILES) |
|---|---|---|
Promotional Economy | N, V, X, O | 10% |
Discounted Economy | L, M, Q | 20% |
Full Economy Class | Y, B | 40% |
Premium Economy | W, S, K, H | 50% |
Business Class | Z, R, J, D | 60% |
[card card-name='The Platinum Card® from American Express' card-id='22504813' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.